The SAMAs Are Going Back Home

By Viranova Awards Desk31 May 2026Music

There is something remarkably stubborn about the relationship between South Africa’s biggest music awards and the North West province.

After several turbulent editions away from the North West, including stops in Pretoria and Midrand, the South African Music Awards are heading back to familiar ground. The 32nd edition is set to take place in the North West Province on 15 August 2026, with North West MEC Tsotso Tlhapi describing the return as a “homecoming” moment.

Honestly? It feels long overdue.

We have to acknowledge the elephant in the room. The last time the SAMAs were out that way, during the SAMA28 period in 2022, the ceremony drew criticism, including concerns around artist attendance, organisation and the awards’ public image.

So, the awards had to keep moving. SAMA29 was staged at the SunBet Arena at Time Square in Menlyn Maine, Pretoria, while SAMA30 took place at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand. They survived the transition. But survival is not the same thing as putting on a spectacle. Recent ceremonies risked feeling less like a destination moment and more like industry obligations.

This is exactly why the North West still matters.

It is not just a convenient backdrop. For a whole generation of South Africans, Sun City helped define the idea of local superstardom. It carried the energy of a true destination event: artists travelling in, teams checking into hotels, red carpets feeling bigger, and the industry briefly gathering somewhere outside its usual Gauteng comfort zone.

When you hold the SAMAs in Gauteng, it is easy for artists and executives to clock in, grab their trophies, and drive home to sleep in their own beds. There is less immersion. Taking the event back to the Platinum Province changes the atmosphere. It asks the industry to travel, linger, network, show up and treat the awards like more than a scheduled broadcast.

That matters.

A major music ceremony is not only about trophies. It is about theatre, memory and the feeling that South African music is important enough to deserve a stage with weight. North West gives the SAMAs that sense of occasion because the province is already tied to the awards’ history.

Having a provincial government visibly eager to host and support the creative economy gives RiSA and the organisers a stronger hosting platform. But going back to the North West will not magically erase the SAMAs’ recent credibility wobbles. That still requires transparent judging, strong production, artist buy-in and a ceremony that feels worthy of the music it claims to celebrate.

Our artists are taking Amapiano, Afro-tech, hip-hop, gospel, soul and pop to the world.

They deserve a local stage that feels monumental.

Sometimes you really do have to go backward to find your footing.

Corrections open · Editorial standards · AI policy